


This is how your 'justice' ends

by Lady_Alvilda



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Phantom Thieves Team, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Leader Swap, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Reverse Protagonist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25299952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Alvilda/pseuds/Lady_Alvilda
Summary: "You are held captive. A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance. This is truly an unjust game... Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you..."What if Goro Akechi had been chosen as the Trickster? How would he fare in a game rigged against him? The second coming of the detective prince must form is own rag tag bunch of thieves to take on a false god, all while investigating his own group.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 35





	1. Prolougue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a passion project for me so I wont have a very strict upload schedule. I rather write when I am inspired then try and force chapters out by a specific date. I don't want to get burned out and just abandon this, I want to see it through to the end. I'm not sure how many chapters there will be but I hope you enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed writing and planning it. I also want to try and make Akechi's story unique without straying to far from the original plot so his team wont be the canon team but some plot elements will require a few of them to be apart of his team. Regardless I hope you enjoy this, after the prologue the story will be more streamlined.

A loud alarm blared, bright lights blinded the scared casino patrons, security scampered around like mice. A shadow boisterously hopped light to light high above it all, a cape fluttering softly as it does. Patrons glanced around, desperately trying to get a glimpse of the thief behind the alarm. Suddenly someone shouted,

“Hey… up there!” 

All eyes shifted up to see a figure outlined in the moonlight; a tall, thin guy with shaggy hair. His outfit was almost prince-like, adorned with golden and red regalia accents, but it was black as night. A long red Venetian style mask perched on his face shielding his identity from all who saw him. A smirk rested on the thief’s face as he stared down over the crowd of people. One hand clutched the cord holding the light up, in the other was a large silver briefcase. He seemed to be waiting, soaking in the gazes of the patrons below. 

His presence caught the eyes of the security below and made their way toward his location. The thief pressed the briefcase into his stomach as he bowed towards the crowd, a symbolic gesture to close out the show. Without a second glance the thief continued his escape, navigating the next few lights with ease. 

“Good. Now get running!”

“You got this, we believe in you!”

“Just stay calm, don’t lose your head.”

Voiced echoed through the earpiece he was wearing, encouraging him onward. His teammates, his friends, cheering him on as he led the police and security into the opposite direction of them. He stopped only momentarily to attach the briefcase to his belt, freeing up his hands. Suddenly there was static, unfamiliar voices and only partial sentences.

“got…now…we can’t…and then…on site…”

The thief did not pause to ponder their meaning, he pressed forward waving between cables.

“Don’t worry about our side. Just focus on getting away from here!”

He was way ahead of his friends comment, flipping onto one of the larger neon signs to get to the next set of lights.

“That was quite a show you put on back there Crow, albeit a bit risky.”

“Our leader is nothing if not a showman!”

“He always makes time for a standing ovation!”

Another smirk, although this time it was one of amusement. He never considered himself much of a showman, but perhaps it wasn’t far off from the truth. Both in his thieving and his normal life he always found a way to steal the spotlight. 

“His quick thinking gives us an opening to get away, don't waste it!”

“Everyone know where to meet up?”

“I’ve charted a path!”

Crow vaulted over a railing, the sound of his feet hitting the ground was muffled by the carpet. This did not mean his appearance had gone unnoticed, a security guard came running down the stairs. The guards appearance morphed into something inhuman as it called out to him,

“Stop right there! You’re not getting away!”

In a flash he threw himself into the air, landing on the shadows back. He clawed at the mask that was practically one with the shadows face, tearing it off. He bounded away as the shadow melted and morphed into a large snake-like creature with four arms and the face of a bull.

“Calculating odds of success… not even a challenge. Make quick work of it Crow!”

Without skipping a beat the thief lurched forward, slicing his serrated blade through the monster. As soon as his feet touched the ground he spun around and fired two bullets at the beast, neutralizing it with ease.

“Okay, now get a move on before reinforcements arrive!”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle,” Crow responded boastfully, but did not stick around to test his luck. He had to keep moving, he had to make sure everyone got out safe and try to find a way out himself. Slipping out through a fire exit he followed the voice of his teammate guiding him through the bowels of the casino. Slipping through darkened corridors, vaulting over chain link fences, and hiding from shadows behind boxes. The more time he could buy everyone the better, he was confident enough in his own skills to get him through this.

“What’s this weird reading…”

His teammate’s voice came over the coms once more as he ducked under a window, a couple agents running past in an attempt to locate him. It seems another variable was added to their escape, this plan was becoming more convoluted by the second.

“Are you sure he came this way?.... Understood we’ll continue the search.” 

Crow waited until he heard the last set of footsteps disappear down the hall before emerging once more. Then he continued down a flight or stairs, trying his best to be as quiet as possible. Emerging into a storage area, he heard his teammate give a shout,

“Crow! Watch out!”

On cue six shadows formed around him, trapping him in the center of the room. Desperate he glanced around for an opening, looking for a rafter to use his grappling hook onto or a distraction of some kind. Could he take them all on? Sure but that was noisy and eventually the police would catch up with him and he would be done for. Giant dice blocks, a mountain of chips, boxes littered the floor. Nothing stood out to him and the shadows were closing in, he had to fight them.

The thief pulled his sword, if he was going down here then he was going out fighting. Suddenly there was the sound of heels clicking slowly towards him, the shadows turned their heads. He followed there gaze to the other side of the room.

“T-That weird reading from earlier….!”

Across the room was a girl slightly shorter than himself with long red hair flowing freely behind her. She was covered head to toe in black; she wore a long puff-sleeved leotard with an aline skirt, a silver chain belt with two silver roses motifs laid on her waist with the scabbard for her rapier and gun attached to it, black tights and knee high stiletto-heels that resemble ballet shoes on the top. A black mask with silver highlights around the eyes rested on her face and a black ribbon tied in a small bow acted as a hairband, keeping all hair but her bangs out of her face.

“I’ll end this here” The girl said calmly, removing her rapier and pointing it at the shadows.

“Crow, that weird reading from before… I-it’s her!”

The girl flung her rapier forward just barely missing Crow’s face, impaling it in the shadow behind him. If he didn’t know any better, he would think that was an intentional move on the girls part. A warning. The shadow fell to its knees and slumped forward, the rest wasted no time and charged forward. 

The mysterious girl cartwheeled out of the way of the first attack, withdrawing a shotgun from the same holster. With ease she began to dispense with enemies left and right. Half back walkover, shot, cartwheel into a front flip, shot. Crow removed the rapier as the shadow dissolved, the girl landed in front of him and he tossed her the sword.

“You gave me the confidence needed to fight,” The girl said catching the sword. She did a half turn on one foot, slicing through the next shadow. “For that I owe you. Consider this a debt paid.” She added, turning to face Crow. 

“Saving my life is a pretty big reward.” Crow said, approaching her while eyeing the last two shadows. “I might owe you one now.” he added in jest,

“Oh please don’t-” Before she could finish Crow grabbed her by the waist, spinning her out of the way as one of the shadows lurched towards them. He reached for his sword, slicing through the shadow with ease. Behind him he heard another shot and the sound of another shadow dissolving. He returned his attention to the girl, “You still have something you need to do as a phantom thief, correct?” The girl asked. Crow nodded his head solemnly, “Go then. I will make it harder for them to find you.” She said, turning towards the way he came. “Just remember your promise… okay?”

Crow still felt like there was more to say, things he needed to warn her about but there was no time. “Of course.” Crow said, perhaps his voice sounded more uncertain then he meant because her head dipped slightly. He couldn’t dwell on it though, so he made for the other door climbing up a long flight of stairs.

When he finally emerged at the top there was a long dark hallway, the only light coming from a window into the security office. Perhaps this was not the most inconspicuous route but he was able to slip by the window with ease. 

“He’s not alone! Find them and kill them all!” He heard one of the men inside the room shout. Temptation to look inside and see what they knew was strong but he held on. He slipped under the window and towards the exit. He bursted through the door on the opposite side of the courier which opened up to a balcony view of the dining area. Crow glanced down, it was swarmed with people.

“The exit is right up ahead” Came his teammates' voice, causing him to look up across the way. There was a large stained glass window that reached floor to ceiling.

“That…” Crow trailed off, did they honestly expect him to break through the glass?

“All the exits are blocked off and the bottom floor is swarmed with police. It’s the only way.” Before Crow could even respond there was commotion behind him, perhaps throwing the door open like he did was too loud. The guards were closing in on him again, he hopped onto the railing and began running around towards the other side. He heard guests bellow commenting on him,

“Up there!”

“It’s him!”

Crow didn’t bother entertaining the crowd this time, his mind focused on the goal ahead. He did pause momentarily as he reached the glass. Glancing back just as the guards burst onto the balcony.

“Bye bye!” Crow called out, saluting the guards before throwing himself through the glass. For a moment he felt what it was like to be a real criminal. He floated through the air looking up at the night sky as he soaked in the feeling. Finally he landed with a front tumble, getting up and dusting his shirt off.

Then there were lights, many of them blinding him. He raised his arm, squinting toward the lights. Hundreds of police officers lined up around him, backing him up against the building.

“This can’t be happening…Crow!”

“What’s going on?! What is happening?!”

“An ambush?!”

“Crow! Are you okay?”

“You gotta get out of there”

All his friends' cries were in vain as he stared down the entire police force ahead of him. He glanced around, finding one last escape route. He rushed off to the left, throwing himself onto the fire exit ladder and scampering up it. As he got up to the first level he was met with another group of cops. Crow didn’t have time to react as the closet cop rammed his gun into his face, sending him hurling down to the crowd of police below. He was pressed down into the ground, too many hands holding him down to even think of fighting back.

“We got him!” one of them called out as he was cuffed,

“It’s just a kid.” another scoffed as the cops began releasing him. The crowd began to scatter as an older man in a suit approached, a familiar face.

“You got sold out, boy.” The lieutenant said, hauling him up.


	2. Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi finds himself in a dimly lit room with some old friends...

Things were very blurry for Goro Akechi, he had been awoken by a bucket of water being thrown on him. His entire body was cold and wet, shivering as his eyes tried to adjust to the dimmed light of the interrogation room. Was this what needing glasses was like? He blinked a few times, looking around the room to try and gather his bearings. Two men in suits on his right, one on his left, a camera in the far left corner, a table and one chair front and center. 

“No dozing off.” One of the men said as he glanced down, the other chair holding him up. He tugged at the restraints holding his arms behind his back. However he was weak, barely able to shrug his shoulders. His eyes drifted down, a syringe laid at his feet. ‘Those bastards’ he thought before a foot slammed into the side of his face, sending him flying off the chair. He let out a groan as he heard the man laugh,

“I’ve been wanting to do that ever since the Matsumoto case.” The man said. Officer Ono, 48, has been with the police for seventeen years. Akechi was well acquainted with the man, although he found his work ethic to be lack luster since he couldn’t even solve a missing person’s case on his own. It was one of Akechi’s first big breaks as a detective, locating a missing woman named Aoi Matsumoto. Suddenly a shoe came down on Akechi’s head, breaking his line of thought, pressing down.

“Give it up, or do you want another shot?” Officer Ono taunted, rubbing his heel into the side of Akechi’s head.

“You’re not very smart are you?” Akechi said through gritted teeth, this caused the officer to stop. He looked down at Akechi then followed his gaze up to the camera.

“What? The camera?” Officer Ono said taking his foot off Akechi’s head looking back down at the boy, “You don’t honestly think it could be used as video evidence do you?” He asked, crouching down to Akechi’s level. He raked his hand through Akechi’s hair, grabbing a chunk of it and pulling Akechi’s head up.

“That’s generally how it goes, yeah.” Akechi croaked out, a bit too boastfully.

“There's no laws that will protect you anymore, not after what you’ve done.” Ono said, throwing Akechi’s head down and standing up. For good measure he delivered a swift kick to Akechi’s midsection.

“Nngh!” Akechi wheezed as the air was knocked out of his lungs, followed by a couple coughs. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so cocky,

“Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons… Manslaughter too. You really racked up quite a list of crimes here ‘detective prince’.” Ono said reading off his charges. ”All of these crime…done by a stupid brat like you…”

Akechi groaned, laying his head back down, it was all hazy. He shut his eyes for a moment, flashes of the past few months coming and going. He opened his eyes again as Ono nodded at another officer; Uchida, 32, been with the police for six years. Akechi never had a run in with Uchida personally but he could tell the man wasn’t fond of him either. 

“You should know your place” Officer Ono commented as Uchida kneeled behind Akechi, removing the handcuffs. Uchida and the other office pulled him up into a sitting position as Office Ono approached. Akechi rubbed his wrists, the drugs made everything kind of numb but he could feel that the cuffs had dug into his wrists. He noted all the bruises along his hands and forearms but couldn’t quite remember what caused them.

“Sign here.” Ono instructed, catching Akechi’s attention once again. He looked at the clipboard where a confession was written up, all it needed was his signature. Signing that would mean there's no going back so he pushed it away, only for Ono to slam his foot down onto his leg. Akechi let out a yelp, gritting his teeth as Ono applied more pressure. “I need your hand to sign this but I don’t care if you end up losing a leg.” He hissed out. Akechi relented, taking the clipboard from the officer’s hand. He knew that Ono and the rest of the police took some sick joy in abusing him, he had been showing them up since he started taking on cases. It made them look bad, they were taking it out on him now.

Ono held out a pen to him and Akechi took it, glaring the older man down. He signed his name the best he could, it was the sloppiest signature he’s ever written. Ono snatched the pen and clipboard back and laughed. Akechi knew this was just how it had to be, he had to hold out just a bit longer. 

“Now, be a good little detective and wait here for your final transfer.” Officer Ono said as he headed towards the door, other officers in tow. Akechi didn’t attempt to move, not willing to risk any more retaliation. “It shouldn’t be long now, anywhere between an hour and 6 days.” The officer taunted one last time. Akechi sat there for a bit, once more trying to gather his bearings again. Once he felt strong enough he shakily got to his feet, using the chair he was sitting in before as a crutch.

The metal chair screeched as it scratched across the tile floor, supporting Akechi’s weight. He winced at the sound but continued forward until he was at the table. Stepping around, he collapsed into the chair and let out a deep sigh. For the first time in a couple hours, or maybe days, he was able to relax. There was an urge to lay his head down and rest again but he shook that thought away. He needed to stay up, he needed to push on. Why? It was hard to remember, he needed to talk to someone… about what happened. Convince them he was innocent, that they were all framed. The details were hazy but he had enough consciousness to know what he had to do.

Some time passed, minutes? Hours? He couldn’t really tell anymore, but finally the door opened once again. Sae Nijima, 24, Public Prosecutor of the Tokyo District Special Investigation Department. A woman he once considered his partner, she now stood in front of him with an expression that looked like a mix of shock and pity.

“So it really was you..” Sae trailed off looking him over once more before composing herself. “I didn’t want to believe it.” She admitted, placing a manila folder on the table between them. Akechi recognized it instantly, it was her file for the Phantom Thieves case. He remembered seeing it a lot the last few months, he knew that folder in and out.

“This time, please answer my questions.” Sae said in a tone that almost sounded familiar. In a way it sounded soft, like she was talking to a child. He was a child of course but after all he had been through he felt old and tired. Sae looked around, a small gasp slipped out.

“Those bastards,” she whispered before turning her attention back to Akechi. Despite her composed features, her eyes were soft. “Akechi-kun, can you hear me? It looks like a lot has happened to you…” Her softened gaze studied the bruises scattered across his pale flesh.

“Anything can happen in here, and they seemed to have been waiting to get their hands on me.” Akechi said, rubbing his wrist. Perhaps it was nerves, or the fact he was on the opposite side of the table from Sae Nijima. She could be ruthless, she didn’t get where she was in the public prosecutor’s office by going easy on people.

“There’s nothing I can do to stop them.” Sae said solemnly, turning her attention back to the folder. She took a deep breath as she flipped open the folder, “They aren’t giving me much time so I need you to answer me honestly.” Her tone had changed, more assertive, “Why did you turn to a life of crime? Why throw your whole career away? We worked this case together, is that how you managed to conceal your technique?”

“No, you wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.” This caught Sae’s attention. Akechi sat up straight, he only had one shot at this so he had to make it count. He had to turn this around and regain Sae’s trust.

“It’s through that other “world” right? You should know me better by now, I wouldn’t believe it just by reading the reports.” Sae paused for a moment, perhaps gaging how trustworthy his statements were. “When and where did you learn about that other world? How is it even possible to steal another heart? Tell me everything, from the beginning.” Sae said, eager to get the answers for the questions she’s been asking herself for months.

“Well,” Akechi leaned forward, resting his head on his hand and rubbing his forehead with the other, “It all started with a little red icon.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a shorter one but I want to separate his interrogation scenes and the main story. Hopefully it will all flow better that way!


	3. Shujin Academy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aketchi has learned to trust his gut and his gut says something isn't right here.

“Akechi-Kun!”

  
Sae’s voice snapped him out of his daze, his eyes raising up from his phone. Sae Nijima stood in front of him, one hand on her hip and the other dangling at her side holding her briefcase and a paper bag. They were supposed to go out to lunch to talk over her current caseload. She had a theory about the recent string of ‘mental shutdown’ cases (as she referred to them) that plagued Japan the past few months. The most recent being a train conductor involved in an operation accident that derailed a train. Akechi himself had solved a few of these cases but Sae had her own theory that may contradict his findings. Somehow he managed to charm her into buying him sushi in exchange for his opinion, converter belt only but it was better than nothing.

  
Goro Akechi had been alone for as long as he could remember, his mother killed herself when he was very young. He spent much of his childhood bouncing around from foster home to foster home, never able to find a family to call his own. As a teenager he was accepted into a private and prestigious high school on a full ride, giving him a place to stay at night and clothes on his back. He became a high school detective to earn a little money on the side and begin his career in criminal justice. Food was scarce, turns out high school detectives don't get paid well, so any food was better than going to bed hungry. Not that he would ever admit that to Nijima-san, he didn’t want her to pity him.  
Their trip was side tracked by a visit to Shujin Academy, a prep school Sae’s sister attended. Apparently the girl had forgotten her lunch, and since they were passing by anyway Akechi had recommended they drop it off. Sae had insisted that her sister was very capable and could simply buy lunch but Akechi insisted that it was no problem.

  
“Are you alright?” Sae questioned studying his expression, “You seem distracted.”

  
“Don’t worry about me Nijima-san.” Akechi said, slipping his phone into his pocket. “I’m just looking forward to sushi,” He said placing a hand on his stomach “and hearing out your theory of course.” Akechi assured her. That wasn’t technically a lie, but he also had not been sleeping well. He had been having strange dreams, not coherent enough to remember. A blue butterfly, a girl's voice calling out to him, a jail cell? There were a lot of loose threads he couldn’t manage to connect. Now he had to deal with some sort of malware that kept installing itself onto his phone, a little red eye icon. He deleted it this morning and it was already back, he would have to look into it more later.

  
“This shouldn’t take too long,” Sae said, turning her attention to the school gate “Makoto should be getting out for lunch soon.” She glanced down at her watch, “I will just leave her lunch with the main office. You may stay here if you wish.” With that said she began heading towards the school entrance, Akechi glanced around. He could tell there were definitely some students watching him, perhaps already on their lunch break, an uncomfortable feeling washed over him. His reputation as the ‘Second Coming of the Detective Prince’ had earned him quite a few fans, even though he thought this title was exaggerated. Akechi had solved quite a few cases, even a few high profile cases, but he had yet to find the one case that would really put his name out there. He wasn’t even sure if he really wanted that, he really just wanted to save people. The publicity helped him get more cases, but he still felt a bit embarrassed by all the attention. His gloved hand gripped his silver briefcase a bit tighter as he swallowed the uncomfortable feeling and put on a smile.

  
“I’ll join you,” Akechi called out, jogging forward to catch up with her. He jogged a little ahead of her to get the door for her, “After you Nijima-san.”

  
“How kind of you,” Sae said as she passed him, “Don’t expect me to change my mind about the sushi.”

  
Akechi chuckled following her in, it was rare to see Sae crack a joke. Perhaps it wasn’t a joke, her tone was rather serious. She stopped momentarily to speak with a teacher at the entrance, informing her of who she was and that she was merely here to drop off her sister's lunch. Aketchi noted the shift in the teacher's expression when Sae introduced herself. He didn’t dwell on it though, he was busy taking in the atmosphere of the school. He couldn’t help but note the drastic difference between his school and Shujin. It was not run down in any means, Shujin still seemed to carry itself with an air of superiority. Yet the atmosphere seemed off, he couldn’t quite place it.

  
“Right this way ma’am.” The teacher said leading them through the school and up a flight of stairs. Akechi glanced into classrooms as they passed, some students had already begun lunch while some seemed to be wrapping up their lessons. He couldn’t help but wonder what it was like to have people to spend lunch with, or any amount of quality time with. It was a dreary thought but one that came whenever he saw kids his age hanging out together. Perhaps it was his rocky upbringing or the fact he surrounded himself with adults nowadays but he never really had friends his own age. Sae was the closest thing he had to a friend, and even then she was a work partner, someone who prosecuted his cases or someone to bounce ideas around with.

  
Akechi shook off the thought before it distracted him and sped up his pace to catch up with Sae and the teacher. They neared the office quickly and the teacher ushered them in before disappearing behind a door in the office. Sae turned her attention to the lady behind the counter, explaining the situation to her. She placed the paper bag on the counter and the lady promised to get the food to Makoto before her class. Akechi took the time to admire the degrees and awards on the office walls, he never imagined so many successful people came from Shujin. The school's reputation had been declining slowly the past few years, but it was still seen as a great option for parents who couldn’t afford private schools.

  
“Prosecutor Nijima! What an honor to have you visit us today!” Came a deep voice catching both their attention. Out of the office came a large bald man in a beige-yellow suit and a red bowtie, a large grin spread across his face. The teacher from before trailed out behind him with a meek smile and Akechi deduced she informed him of their arrival.  
“Good afternoon Principle Kobayakawa.” Sae replied, placing a hand on her chest and giving him a small bow. “I am just here to drop Makoto’s lunch off.” Sae said, gesturing towards the brown bag on the counter.

  
“Ah of course, your sister is very lucky to have someone as successful and caring as you looking out for her.” The principal said, clasping his hands together. There was something Akechi didn’t like about this man, he definitely seemed to be sucking up to Sae but that was to be expected with the position she held. There was something else that Akechi just couldn’t place, something unnerving about the small man. “Is that Goro Akechi? The detective prince himself?” The man said, turning his attention to him.  
“Oh, uh, yes. Sae-san and I were actually about to have lunch to discuss a case.” Akechi said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “I am merely here to accompany her.” he added, but this didn’t seem to quell the older man's excitement.

  
“How exciting to have such high profile figures in our prestigious academy!” Kobayakawa practically squealed, “I must give you a tour around!”

  
“That’s not necessary, we were just dropping off Makoto's lunch.” Sae attempted to protest.

  
“We are honored but we are in sort of a rush.” Akechi tried to add but the principle was not listening, he was already asking the woman at the desk to clear his schedule for the day. Akechi exchanged a look with Sae, “We wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience.” Akechi added hoping to escape this without seeming rude.

  
“Nonsense! It’s my pleasure.” The principal said waddling back towards them, “Perhaps I could even persuade you to attend Shujin!” He said to Akechi, who tried his hardest to not laugh. The man’s voice seemed to indicate it was just a joke but Akechi could tell that he meant it. Even putting academics aside, his school provided him too many benefits to leave. A place to stay, clothes to wear, the ability to miss classes for his police investigations.

  
Despite their objections, Principle Kobayakawa had begun taking them on a tour of Shujin academy. Akechi didn’t realize how large the school was, perhaps it was something about being forced to tour it that made the time drag on. Occasionally something would catch his attention; students watching them and whispering to each other, a poster about upcoming events, or even a few fun facts Kobayakawa had about the school. Akechi could easily tell by Sae’s expression she was not enjoying herself, although she came off as very professional and impressed. It was the way she said certain things that stood out, almost like watching her during a trial. She couldn’t out right call the defense attorney a buffoon or a liar, but her tone and phrasing said it for her without sounding crude.

  
“You think they are here about Kamoshida?”

  
Akechi was ripped out of his thoughts by the whispering of some nearby students, something that the adults seem to be preoccupied to notice. Akechi glanced in the direction of the boys, startling them enough to cause one of them to punch the other in the arm.

  
“Shut up you’re so loud!” The boy whispers as his friend winced, grabbing his arm. The boys turned away whispering quieter to themselves, avoiding eye contact. Akechi tilted his head slightly, intrigued by the boy’s comments. Perhaps there was something interesting about this school after all. For a moment Aketchi thought about stepping away and speaking to the boys but based off their reaction, they wouldn’t talk to him. He decided to not address this right away, it seemed whatever was going on was enough to warrant a police presence but not talk about.

  
Instead he trailed behind Sae and Kobayakawa as the principal boasted about the different achievements of Shujin. That is all he seemed to talk about, completely overlooking the more obvious flaws in the school. The walls were dingy, first had gathered around things hanging on the walls and in corners. The sets of tables and chairs littered around were from the 1980’s, and that was a generous assumption. Most obvious was the yellow tinge that showed the windows age. Like it’s legacy, this school was not aging gracefully.

  
“And we got Sugura Kamoshida to coach the volleyball team this year, he has really turned it around. We will make nationals this year if all goes well!”

  
The sudden mention of Kamoshida caught Akechi’s attention again, drawing him out of his pessimistic thoughts.

  
“Sugura Kamoshida?” Akechi questioned, Kobayakawa glanced back at him and smiled gleefully.

  
“A fan I see!” Kobayakawa stopped indicating to the doors behind him, large dark wooden doors with a window in each. The glass was frosted so he couldn’t make out what was going on, vague shapes moving in the distance. “He is actually in there with the team right now!” The principle added,

  
“In the middle of the day? Shouldn’t the students be eating their lunch?” Sae questioned, this seemed to catch the principle off guard.

  
“Oh, uh, well you see the team is extremely dedicated.” Kobayakawa explained, “They really want to make it to regionals. Colleges love to see those sorts of achievements.”  
Akechi couldn’t deny that this was true, especially if the students were specifically aiming to get an athletic scholarship. Academic scholarships could be very competitive but worth it for those who lacked academic adroitness. Sometimes it was easier for more athletically gifted students to focus on gaining an athletic scholarship and skirt by on that.  
“Do you mind if we watch?” Aketchi asked, immediately he could feel Sae’s eyes on him. He could practically hear her voice in his head,

  
‘What are you doing? We are trying to get out of here!’

  
Aketchi’s eyes remained locked with Kobayakawa, studying the way the older man’s eyebrows raised and his eyes widened ever so slightly. He could see right through the principles act, despite his attempt to compose himself.

  
“I am afraid Komoshida is very private about his training sessions.” Kobayakawa spoke up, glancing over at the door.

  
“It’s for the best we don’t have time to stay very long,” Sae’s eyes lingered on him a bit longer before returning to the principle. “Besides I was interested in what you were saying about Shujin’s student council. Makoto doesn’t speak much about her activities.”

  
“Oh of course” Kobayakawa exclaimed, clasping his hands together, excited about the change of subject. He began moving again but Aketchi stayed where he was, eyeing the gymnasium doors.

  
“That’s too bad, I was interested to see how your academy's sports programs stack up against my own.” Aketchi chimed in again, diverting the conversation. Kobayakawa stopped once more, glancing back at him. “My school excels in academic achievements but I have found the athletic division to be lackluster.” He added while exaggerating his tone just enough to sell the act.

  
“I wasn’t aware you were interested in athletics programs.” Sae spoke up, her tone was impassive to an outsider but Aketchi knew better. Her tone was tense, almost annoyed at his delays. He knew he was treading a fine line but he would never get anywhere as a detective if he ignored his gut feeling.  
“Oh of course I do!” Aketchi assured her, “However I do enjoy watching the different teams during sports day. It’s refreshing to see the passion and hard work others put into their craft. My school is talented but the players seem to lack the drive. I suppose they are getting a free ride from their parents so there's no incentive to put that passion in.” He wasn’t sure if Sae was really buying it but that didn’t matter, Kobayakawa was.

  
“It’s wonderful to see you take such an interest in our school’s programs!” He said, practically glowing (or maybe it was sweat). “As I told you, Komoshida is very private about his practices. He didn’t get to be an Olympic gold medalist by giving away his secrets to just anyone!” That’s why the name was familiar, man made national headlines after winning the gold medal in the Olympics for volleyball. “But we do have our volleyball rally coming up this Wednesday, if you'd like I can arrange for you to come watch.” Kobayakawa offered.

  
Aketchi gave a nod, perhaps having some patience was necessary. It would give him time to look into Kamoshida and see if there was anything dark in his background that he could dig up. Besides, based on the look Sae was giving him, his act was beginning to wear thin and he should take what he could get.

  
“I would enjoy that very much.” Aketchi mused, taking one last glance at the door before heading towards the two adults.

  
“Excellent! I will sort that out with my secretary once we finish up here.” Kobayakawa said, beginning to walk once more. Sae eyed Aketchi again, but the teen just smiled obliviously. “Where was I,” The principle pondered “Ah yes! The student council!”

  
For a moment Sae’s face fell for a moment, exchanging a look of exhaustion with Aketchi before glancing at her watch. Hopefully they would still have time to talk after all this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay, my laptop crashed and I had to send it out for repairs. Hopefully it wont take this long to get the next chapter out!


End file.
